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DISCOURSES 



ON THE 

ORIGIN, UNIVERSAL OBLIGATION, PERPETUITY, 
DUTIES AND GENERAL USEFULNESS 



OF 



. THE SABBATH, 

DELIVERED 
IN THE CAPITOL OF THE UNITED STATES, 

BY 

LEVI R. REESE, 

Chaplain of the House of Representatives. 



f^kf-' 



PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. 



ORE: 

PRINTED BY WILLIAM WOODDY. 

1838. 






TO THE 

SPEAKER AND MEMBERS 

OF THE 
HOUSE OF REPRESEJVTATIVES OF THE UI?fITED STATES^ 

This humble effort in favor of an Institution, the importance of 
which in a National view is beyond all finite power of estimation. 






DISCOURSES ON THE SABBATH. 



"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the 
host of them; and on the seventh day, God ended his work which 
he- had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work 
which he had made; and God blessed the seventh day and sancti- 
fied it, because that in it he had rested from all his work which 
God created and made/' Genesis chap. ii. 1, 2 and 3 verses. 

The text invites us to a consideration of the Sab- 
bath. When we consider the antiquity of this Insti- 
tution, — the purposes for which it was ordained, — 
the iqaportance which has been attached to it in all 
ages of the world, — its high authority, and the bless- 
ings which its observance secures to mankind indi- 
vidually and socially, religiously and politically, there 
are manifestly few subjects which present higher 
claims to our regard. It demands the attention of all 
classes of society. The christian, the philanthropist, 
the statesman, the lover of his country, indeed all 
men, have a direct and vital interest in this Divine 
ordinance, because it involves principles and duties 
which are essential to human safety, and to the order, 
harmony and general well-being of every community. 

What then are the facts which meet us when we 
approach the investigation of this subject? The his- 
tory of the world, as given by the sacred writer, pre- 
sents us with an institution called the Sabbath — an 
institution which provides for the appropriation of 



one day out of seven as a period of rest, and of re- 
ligious improvement: and wherever allusion is made 
to it we are referred to Almighty God as its author. 
Two propositions are therefore clearly established 
and put beyond the reach of controversy. The first 
is, that at some period of time a sabbath was appoint- 
ed for man: and the second is, that it was done by 
divine authority. The great questions then for us 
to examine are whether the obligations of the sab- 
bath as originally instituted were limiled or universal 
in their application to our race — and whether, if uni- 
versal at the period of its institution, it was designed 
that they should thus continue until the end of lime? 
To determine these questions intelligently it will be 
necessary to take into consideration several important 
points bearing upon this subject; and if it shall appear 
that the sabbath is universal and perpetual in its obli- 
gations, it will remain for us to consider what are the 
modifications it has undergone, its usefulness to the 
world, and such other branches of the subject as may 
be suggested during the progress of the investigation. 
This cannot be done in the time allotted for a single 
discourse; nor, if it could, would we consider it advi- 
sable so to abridge this inquiry as to bring up the 
conclusion of a subject of so great magnitude, withia 
the compass of a single hour. 

On the present occasion then I shall confine myself 
to the inquiry touching the origin of the sabbath; and 
in doing so I think it will be clearly shown that its 
obligations, be they what they may, were universal 
in their application. When was the sabbath institu- 
ted ? Was it at the close of the work of creation ? 
Or was it a month after the Israelites had left Egypt^ 
when Manna was miraculously furnished for their 
support in the wilderness? Or, was it when Moses 



received the moral law, written on tables of stone, 
from amid the smoke and flame and thunder and 
lightning which rendered Mount Sinai a place of aw- 
ful grandeur and glory? There is on these questions 
a difference of opinion. I know of none however who 
suppose that the sabbath was first established when 
the decalogue was given; but there are those who re- 
fer its origin to the period when God sent Manna to 
the Israelites in the wilderness, about two thousand 
five hundred years after the creation; while others 
trace it back to the close of creation, resting, in part, 
lor proof of this opinion, on the high authority of the 
text before us. Now as very much depends on the 
determining of this point, and as some men of high 
distinction in the literary and religious world have 
maintained tiie former hypothesis, and, as it is be- 
lieved, have led many into erroneous conclusions, it 
will not be irrelative to attempt to show that the ar- 
guments they adduce are unsupported by reason or 
fact. 

It is said that the sabbath was established at the 
period when God sent Manna to the Israelites in the 
wilderness, and not at the close of the work of crea- 
tion; — and that the world was therefore twenty five 
centuries old before its inhabitants were blessed with 
this institution. Two reasons are assigned in support 
of this position. 

First, the language of Moses on the occasion allud- 
ed to, we are told indicates the establishment of a new 
institution, and not the renewal of an old one. Now 
let us take the whole passage, examine it minutely 
and thoroughly, paragraph by paragraph, and in con- 
nexion with all the circumstances, and see if we can 
find any thing in it, that looks like the institution 
of a new ordinance. 
1* 



"And they gathered it (Manna) every mornings 
every man according to his eating, and when the 
sun waxed hot it melted. And it came to pass, that 
on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, 
two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the con- 
gregation came and told Moses. And he said unto 
them, this is that lohich the Lord hath said^ to-morrow 
is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord; bake that 
which you will bake to-day^ and seethe that ye will 
seethe; and that which remaineth over, lay up for you 
to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up 
till the morning as Moses bade: and it did not stink, 
neither was there any worm therein. And Moses 
said, eat that to-day; for to-day is a sabbath unto the 
Lord: to-day ye shall not find it in the field. Six 
days ye shall gather it, but the seventh day which 
is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came 
to pass, that there went out some of the people on 
the seventh day for to gather and they found none. — 
And the Lord said unto Moses, how long refuse ye 
to keep my commandments and my laws? See for 
that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore 
he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days: 
abide ye every man in his place; let no man go out of 
his place on the seventh day. So the people rested 
on the seventh day," Exodus xvi, chap. 21 — 30 vs. 
Now I ask what is there in all this like the institu- 
tion of a new ordinance? Why did the multitude 
gather twice as much bread on the sixth day as they 
did on other days, without instruction so to do by 
Moses, or any one else, if they had no idea of the next 
day being the sabbath? And does not the language 
of Moses indicate a reference to an institution, known 
to himself and known to his followers when he said 
"eat this to-day; for to-day is a sabbath unto the 



Lord?" Was not such precisely the language we 
might expect to be used by Moses upon the suppo- 
sition that the sabbath was well known as an existing 
institution? Besides, on the supposition that this was 
the origin of the sabbath, is it not surprising that no 
reference is made by Moses to the reason w^hy it was 
established? The bare /acf is stated, that such a day 
is "the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord," and 
no reason for its observance is given, and none is 
asked on the part of the multitude. Would this have 
been the case, if it had been to these people a new 
institution? Would they not have desired to know 
w^herefore this day was thus rendered sacred? And, 
judging .from the Almighty's uniform method of deal- 
ing with his creatures, w^ould not Moses have been 
instructed to inform them? 

The second reason which is advanced to show that 
this is the period of the institution of the sabbath, is 
"that there is no mention of the sabbath not even the 
obscurest allusion to it in the general history of the 
world before the call of Abraham, nor in the lives of 
the three Patriarchs down to the departure of the 
Israelites from Egypt: — that history, for the space of 
two thousand five hundred years/rom the creation, is 
silent on the subject of the sabbath, and, therefore 
none could have existed prior to the time of Moses." 
The whole force of this argument rests upon the si- 
lence of history in regard to the sabbath. Now admit- 
ting, for the sake of the argument, that history, sub- 
sequently to the supposed institution of the sabbath 
as described in our text, was silent in regard to it, 
does this prove that it had no existence? Certainly 
not. Doctor Paley, who urges this argument, admits 
that the history of those times contains "only a few 
brief memoirs of (the) early ages, and those extreme- 



8 



ly abridged;" and every one must acknowledge this, 
who knows that the whole liistory of the world to 
the call of Abraham, a period of more than two thou- 
sand years, is contained in the first eleven chapters of 
Genesis. This being the case is it wonderful that 
the historian should have confined himself merely to 
the important events that had occurred during that 
period? Supposing the sabbath to have been institu-- 
ted at the close of creation and that it was a standing 
and well known ordinance, observed by the several 
generations that succeeded Adam — w^as it not enough 
that its establishment was recorded? What special 
reason was there for incorporating a distinct refer- 
ence to it, in the summary history of the ages which 
followed its institution? Or, supposing it to have 
been violated, and its use in a great measure lost 
amid the abounding corruptions of the Antideluvian 
world, — where was the reason for specifying this 
particular crime and distinguishing it from the mass 
of crime embraced in the sweeping declaration that 
"God saw that the wickedness of man was great in 
the earth?" 

Admit the correctness of Dr. Paley's reasoning on 
this subject, and how glaring will be the absurdities 
to which it will lead us? The rite of circumcision 
was instituted in the covenant which God made with 
Abraham. No mention how^ever is again made of 
this rite until the time of Moses, and after the year 
in which he died no allusion is made to it in the sa- 
cred writings until the time of Jeremiah, a period of 
eight hundredyears. During all this time history is en- 
tirely silent on the subject of circumcision. Now if 
the silence of the historian is a good argument against 
the existence of the institution of the sabbath, it is 
equally good against the existence of the rite of cir- 



cumcision among the Jews; so that though the rite is 
recorded as being instituted in connexion with the 
Abrahanfiic covenant, yet it w^as no more known and 
practised until Moses; and after the year in which 
he died, it was unknow^n for more than eight hundred 
years. Who can believe this? And yet, if the silence 
of history is to furnish the argument these are the 
conclusions to which we are led. 

Again, the w^eekly sabbath of Sinai was proclaim- 
ed in the days of Moses. Now this sabbath is not 
mentioned again in the history, subsequently to his 
death, until you find it in II. Kings, xi. 5, a period of 
six hundred years. Is it reasonable to infer that all 
this time the Jcavs had no sabbath? We must do so, 
if the silence of history is to settle the question. The 
truth is, that after an institution is established for the 
observance of mankind, the silence of the historian 
in regard to it, proves nothing of itself, except that 
there were other things to be recorded of more im- 
portance than its special history. I consider there- 
fore the conclusion draw^n from this source as utterly 
unavailing in the question before us. 

But is it true that there is not the ^'obscurest al- 
lusion" to the sabbath in the history of these tvTO 
thousand five hundred years? Are there not indeed 
frequent "allusions to it?" What is the language of 
the text? "And God blessed the seventh day and 
sanctified it^ because that in it he had rested trom all 
his work w^hich God created and made." Will any 
one deny that the blessing and sanctification of the 
sabbath, as here recorded, is a part of the history of 
the world as given by Moses ? Is there not here 
an "allusion" to a sacred institution not obscure, but 
clear, — an institution commemorative of the close 
oi the work of creation? Does not Moses tell us iu 



m 

this passage of a/acf, and is it not that "God blessed 
and sanctified the seventh day?" Whether it was 
observed or neglected by men in after ages is not ma- 
terial to the inquiry. 

But say some the recorded fact of a sabbath insti-j 
tution is put down in this place by way of "anticipa- 
tion." It is the record of an event which was toj 
take place many hundred years afterwards! It is] 
difficult to think of this ingenious device de- 
rived from the Jewish Talmudists to get away from' 
fixing the date of the sabbath at the time of creation, 
without emotions of surprise! What ! — the account 
of the sabbath given in the second chapter of Genesis 
put down to denote an occurrence which did -not then 
take place, but was to transpire at some future period? 
By ^'anticipaiionlP'^ we may then make the whole 
history, a history by anticipation, — recording events 
said to have transpired on the several days preced- 
ing the seventh, but which after all did not occur for 
ages afterwards. There is just as much reason for 
the one as the other. Both, suppositions are alike 
unreasonable and absurd. 

I think however, that in addition to the command- 
ing proof which the text affords, there are some allu- 
sions to its observance to be found anterior to the ex- 
istence of the Jewish nation. Take the case of Cain 
and Abel as recorded in the iv. chapter of Genesis. 
It is here said that in the "process of time" it came 
to pass that they brought their offerings unto the 
Lord: that is at the "end of days''^ as you will find in 
the marginal reading of your family Bibles. What 
does this mean? They came for the purpose of re- 
ligious offering, — and they came at the "end of days." 
There is not, it is true, diti express reference in this to 
the sabbath; but when we consider the circumstances 



11 

^of the case, it is surely not unreasonable to suppose 
that it was really referred to. On the supposition 
that the sabbath was instituted at the creation we 
may at least consider it as an "obscure allusion'^ to 
it. There is certainly more reason to refer it to the 
sabbath than to any other day. To what other can 
we refer it? What day was designated for religious 
observances^ if it was not the sabbath? What day 
more likely to be thus employed than that which God 
had solemnly blessed and sanctified? 

The history of Noah furnishes another instance. 
God said to Noah, "For yet seven days^ and I will 
cause it to rain upon the earth, &c." Gen. vii. ch. 4 
V, And then again, when the waters of the deluge 
swept the whole earth, and Noah with the inmates 
of the Ark alone floated in safety on its surface, what 
do we read? "He sent forth a dove from him to see 
if the waters were abated from off the face of the 
ground;'' and she returned unto him into the Ark. 
"And he stayed yet other seven days and again he 
sent forth 1 he dove out of the Ark; and the dove came 
in to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth was an 
olive leaf plucked oft'. So Noah knew that the wa- 
ters were abated from off" the earth. And he stayed 
yet seven days and sent forth the dove which returned 
not again unto him any more." Genesis viii. chap« 
10 — 12 vs. Is there not something significant in 
this great regard on the part of Noah for the periodi- 
cal completion of seven days? Why should he have 
w'aited for the return of the seventh day unless he 
had regarded it as a day of special promise and bless- 
ing? 

Again, it is said that "Abraham kept the charge of 
God, his commandments, statutes and laws.'' Gen. 
xxvi. ch. 5 V. From this passage it is inferred by 



12 

some respectable writers that this distingished ser* 
vant of God kept the sabbath. 

I have one other fact of some importance as a col- 
lateral consideration which I will now notice. We 
know but little of the Ancient Egyptian and Oriental 
nations; but it is said by historians that they divided 
their time into weeks^ and observed religious festivals 
on the seventh day. This was the case \\ith nations 
that existed anterior to the Jewish nation, and also 
with those that were contemporary. Most authors 
agree in saying that this division of time into weeks 
is derived from the east, especially from Egypt. — 
Dion, a Roman historian says, it "originated in Egypt 
and from thence, at a more modern period pervaded 
the whole earth." Grotius confirms its ancient ori- 
gin in Egypt by reference to Herodotus. "Whence 
came this division of time?" There is nothing in 
nature to indicate it. The changes of the moon might 
divide time for them into months, or the rising and 
setting of the sun give them their days, and the revolv- 
ing seasons furnish them with the year; but there is 
nothing in nature that could lead them to the division 
of weeks. They could not have received it from 
the Jews, for they had no connexion with them, and 
indeed they did not exist as a separate nation for more 
than two hundred and seventy years after the estab- 
lishment of the Egyptian empire. To suppose that 
they received it from Joseph and his brethren, who 
went into Egypt at a very early period, is to surren- 
der the argument in question, for then the Patriarchs 
must have had their weekly sabbaths. The only 
reasonable assumption is that the heathen countries 
of the east derived this weekly division of time from 
tradition; and if, as Sir Isaac Newton supposes, the 
Egyptians were indebted to the Edomites for their 



T 



n 



Teaming, the line of this tradition may be directly 
traced through Esau to the Patriarchs, and through 
them to the original institution of the sabbath at the 
close of creation. 

But, why this universal impression of the sacredness 
of the seventh day among the most remote nations of 
antiquity? Of this, there is abundance o( proof, and 
on its authority, we are led to the same conclusion 
as to its origin. Hesiod, Homer, and Calimachus 
say ''the seventh day is holy.**' Linus, an ancient 
Greek poet, says "all things in the starry h^^avensare 
made in sevens, appearing in circles, as tlie years 
arise." As he seems here to have had the idea of a 
perpetual rotation in sevens, so it is reasonable to 
conclude that he refers to each recurring seventh day 
when he writes as follows 

"The seventh (day) is among good things 
The seventh (day) is the birth (day) 
The seventh (day) is among chief things, 
The seventh (day) is perfect." 
TibuUus says that the day of Saturn^ (which is the 
seventh day of the week) is sacred. Porphyry says 
"the Phaenecians consecrated one day in seven as 
holy." Philo declares that it was not a festival pecu- 
liar to any nation or country but common to all, and 
kept as a kind of birth day of the w^orld.* Theoph- 
ilus of Antioch says "the days which all men cele- 
brate." Clement of Alexandria says, "the Greeks as 
w^ell as the Hebrews, considered as sacred the seventh 
day according to the recurrence of which this is a ro- 
tation of all things living and growing."! Josephus 
says that "there is not one nation into which the cus- 
tom of observing the seventh day has not found its 

* D wight's Theology, 
f Gurney on Sabbath. 

2 



14 

way.'' Eusebius says "almost all the Philosophers'^ 
and Poets acknowledged the seventh day as holy."— 
Other ancient writers might be quoted; but these are 
sufficient to show the universal impression which ob* 
tained among the people in the earliest ages concern- 
ing the sacredness of this particular day. Whence 
did it originate but from the same tradition that led 
them to divide their time into wrecks? 

From the foregoing considerations it is clearly 
shown that the passage in Exodus xvi. chap. 21 and 
30 vs. does not establish the fact that the sabbath was 
instituted at that period; that the silence of the histo- 
rian would not prove that it had no previous existence: 
that there are probable allusions to it in the sacred 
history itself, and that strong collateral proof is found 
in the testimony of profane writers of antiquity. — ■ 
The argument of Doctor Paley, therefore, is unsus- 
tained by reason and fact. 

The sabbath, then, we hold to have been instituted 
at the close of the work of creation, and the warrant 
for this opinion is our text. ''And God blessed the 
seventh day and sanctified it^ because that in it, he 
had rested from all his works w^ich God created 
and made.'' That is, He blessed it, and set it«apart 
for the special purpose ot commemorating the stu- 
pendous W'Orks of creation, and for an example of 
rest for the imitation of his intelligent creatures. — - 
That this is the import of the passage may be seen 
by referring to Exodus 20th chapter, where he pro- 
claims the law of the sabbath in the most impressive 
manner. He there tells them to 'remember the sab- 
bath day to keep it holy," — he commands them to 
do no work therein, and a^^igns as the reason for it 
the following — '^For in six days the Lord made hea- 
ven and earth, the sea and all that in them island rest- 



rs 

' ed the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the 
sabbath clay and knlloived it." Thus it appears that 
the sabbath day which the Jews were commanded to 
remember and keep holy, was the same sabbath, which 
the Lord had blessed and hallowed at the termination 
of his creative work. 

The date of the sabbath I now consider as settled. 
But you are, perhaps, ready to ask, wherein is the 
importance of ascertaining the origin of this institu- 
tion? You say, show us that it was divinely autho- 
rized, and it is enough. It must then be received as 
binding in all its obligations. Not so. It may have 
been so authorized, and yet be not obligatory on the 
whole race of man. If it had its beginning among 
the sons of Jacob subsequently to their departure 
from Egypt, it might have been said that it was an 
institution peculiar to them, and therefore limited to 
them in its obligations. But if it was ordained of God 
in the dawn of the world's existence, then its obliga- 
tions, whatever they are, must be considered as uni- 
versal. For although only one man then existed on 
earth, yet he was the representative of the whole 
race that was to succeed him. Doctor Paley admits 
this, when he says "If the divine command was ac- 
tually delivered at the creation, it was addressed no 
doubt to the whole human species alike, and contin- 
ues, unless repealed by some subsequent revelation, 
binding upon all who come to the knowledge of it. — 
This opinion precludes all debate about the extent of 
the obligation." "The sabbath was made/or man.'^'^ 
This is the declaration of Christ, and it receives its 
just interpretation when it is considered as compre- 
hending the whole species. Besides the institution 
itself, in the reasons of its enactment, in the privileges 
it conferredand the ends it was to accomplish, was as 



16 



applicable to the whole race as to any individual.-*-- 
Trace then the descendants of Adam; follow them in 
their early migrations, dividing -themselves into tribes, 
—settling in parts remote from each other, — building 
up kingdoms and establishing empires, until the mon- 
arch of day looking from his imperial throne, beheld 
a world peopled with millions of the sons of men; and 
in all this mighty host there was not to be found a 
single individual who was not bound by the sabbatic 
institution — never repealed — to celebrate the won- 
ders of creation in the observance of this w^eekly rest. 
It was to them the "birth day" of the world, and 
hence the obligation to keep it w^as universal. 

Having now fixed the date and shown the univer- 
sality of the obligations of this institution, we are 
prepared to look at its history in subsequent ages. — 
It is likely that it w^as sacredly observed in the fami- 
lies of the Patriarchs for many years subsequent to 
the apostacy, and that then it was lost by some of 
their descendants or perverted to idolatrous purposes 
through the degeneracy of the times. At the expi- 
ration of two thousand five hundred years, a new era 
arrived God made known his purpose to bring from 
the bondage of Egypt the descendants of Jacob; and 
after ihey had travelled about a month, a miracle was 
wrought which furnished occasion to revive the re- 
membrance of the sacredness of the sabbath, which 
some suppose had been entirely lost during their long 
slavery in Egypt. This was the occurrence to which 
we have already referred. But there was no express 
re-enactment ot the law of the sabbath, until the ten 
commandments were given amid the terrible solem- 
nities of Mount Sinai. Since then the Jews have 
always acknowledged its authority; and my hearers, 
need not be told, that from the introduction of the 



v 

christian dispensation, a weekly day of rest and reli- 
gious exercises has been observed by the followers 
of Christ, in all nations. This morning finds us a na- 
tion distinguished by many glorious privileges, but 
by none mpre than by our possession of the peace, 
tranquillity and moral blessings of the sabbath. 

With this brief outline of the history of the institu- 
tion before us, we can profitably proceed to the con- 
sideration of the next question which is presented — 
namely, whether the observance of a sabbath day is 
of perpetual obligation? To this inquiry I will invite 
your attention in my next discourse. 

May the Divine Being smile upon, and guide us 
into all truth for the Redeemer's sake. Amen. 



j^^ 



DISCOURSES OiV THE SABBATH, 



■^^Tbe Sabbath was made for man," — Mark 11 chap. 27 v. 

At my last appointment to preacli in this Hall, it 
will be recollected that the attention of the audience 
was called to the considerations which pertain to the 
origin of the sabbatic institution, and to the univer- 
sality of its obligations. In the view then presented 
of this subject I endeavored to show that the passage 
in Exodus xvi. ch. 21, 30 vs. does not exhibit the 
first institution of the sabbath, — that the occurrence 
it describes, only presents a remarkable occasion 
which was furnished to the Israelites of reviving 
the sacredness of a day long before established: that 
the supposed silence of the sacred historian in respect 
to its observance or non-observance does not, if true, 
disprove the fact of the institution at the close of crea- 
tion: that there are, however, probable allusions to 
it in the progress of events in sacred history; that 
these allusions receive strong collateral support from 
the acknowledged testimonies of the UK)st ancient 
profane writers — and that for these and other reasons 
the ori2:ln of the sabbath is to be traced back to the 
close of the great work of creation, when it was in- 
-stituted by God, and designed to be universal in the 
application of its obligations to man. The^rguments 
on these points I consider satisfactory and conclusive* 



19 • 

In pursuing the investigation of this subject it is pro- 
per now to take up, and consider the question, whe- 
ther the observance of one day in seven, as a sabbath, 
is of perpetual obligation on mankind? 

Before I proceed to the direct proofs of the perpe* 
tuity of the sabbath, I shall notice some of the objec- 
tions which have been urged against it. It is the 
more necessary to do this, because these objections 
are frequently used in opposition to the obligations of 
the sabbath, and oftentimes successfully employed 
in leading serioufe^^inds astray. We know of large 
societies who have been led into great practical er- 
rors on account of having received false apprehen- 
sions of the facts in the case. 

It is said in the first place, that it is a Jewish insti- 
tution, — ceremonial in its nature, — given by God to 
that people for peculiar purposes, and therefore not 
intended to go beyond the limits of Judaism in its ob- 
ligations. If this were true, it is clear that it is in 
nowise obligatory on us, or on the world at large; 
because all the ceremonial and political institutions of 
the Jews were temporary in their duration and limi- 
ted in their extent. The sabbath, on the ground of 
this objection, is therefore no more obligatory on the 
world, than any one of the peculiar sacrifices and ob- 
lations of the Temple service. But the objection 
takes that for granted which is denied. It takes up 
the assumption that the sabbath liad no existence un« 
til the time of Moses — that the origin of the institu- 
tion is to be traced to a period a little subsequent to 
the escape of the Israelites from Egypt, or to the 
promulgation of the law from Mount Sinai. Now 
we think we have shown that it existed long before 
the departure of the Children of Israel from Egypt-— 
that although a special occasion was furnished soon 



20 

^fter their entrance into the wilderness to revive the 
almost forgotten sanctity of the day, and although in 
the srivins: of the law from Sinai it was incoriDorated 
into that ever-during code called the decalogue; yet 
that the institution itself, in its principle and intent 
was set up by God ''for man" two thousand five hun- 
dred years anterior to all these events, and long before 
the Jewish people had an existence or a name. Its 
revival among the descendants of Jacob,and its solemn 
promulgation in the law of Sinai, are to be regarded as 
showing the high regard w^hich Jehovah had for its 
observance, and the necessity of such an ordinance 
for the moral and physical welfare of his people. — 
They were moreover a chosen people — chosen for 
the purpose of keeping alive the knowledge of God 
in the earth; and therefore, as the sabbath had been 
lost by some, and perverted by others, it well com- 
ported with this general design, to incorporate a spe- 
cial injunction for its observance in the ordinances 
given to that people. 

If then, there existed a sabbath prior to the exis- 
tence of the Jewish nation, as has been shown, it is 
manifest that it cannot be considered as an institution 
peculiar to that people, and limited entirely to them. 

But, again, it is said that the christian dispensation 
has abolished all former institutions, be they Patriar- 
chal or Judaical; — that the days, and months, and 
various festivals, have passed away; and that now, 
under the better dispensation, no obligation rests on 
man to keep the sabbath. It is admitted that this is 
true, so far as it relates to those usages, which were 
exclusively ceremonial or political. But was the 
weekly sabbath of this character? Does not the posi- 
tion which it holds in the decalogue, as well as the 
character stamped upon it by its blessing and sancti- 



m 

fication at the close of creation forbid the supposition? 
Was it not thereby eminently distinguished from the 
ceremonial and political institutions of the Jews, and 
so adapted in its nature to all ages, and to all men, as 
utterly to forbid the idea that it was abolished at the 
ushering in of a dispensation designed to draw men 
nearer to the source of purity and holiness? 

But the abolition of the sabbath is supposed to be 
sustained by several passages of Apostolic authority. 
*'How turn ye again to the w^eak and beggarly ele- 
ments whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 
Ye observe days, and months, and times and years. 
I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you 
labor in vain." Gal. iv. ch. 9, 1 1 vs. — ''Let no man 
therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in re- 
spect of a holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the 
sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come." 
Coll. xi. ch. 16, 17 -vs. This language was address- 
ed to converted Jews, upon whom certain Judaizing* 
teachers w^ere endeavoring to urge the observance of 
the ceremonial law as essential to salvation, to the 
neglect of the faith oi the Gospel. Meats, drinks, 
new moons and sabbath days are thrown together as 
alike to be disregarded under the christian dispensa- 
tion. Now is it to be believed that "the sabbath of 
the Lord our God" instituted, blessed and sanctified 
at the close of creation — commanded to be kept holy 
in the decalogue, written on tables of stone as a part 
of the moral law, and distinguished among the sab- 
baths, and times and seasons of the Jews by being 
guarded with the penalty of death — is it to be be- 
lieved that this day was intended to be embraced in 
the general language I have quoted. If the sabbath 
proclaimed from Mount Sinai had been intended, 
VFQuld it not have been distinguished by w^ay of de- 



22 

scription, in a manner corresponding with its tran- 
scendant diijnity and importance among the days 
< consecrated in the Calendar of Jewish observances^ 
There were sabbaths we all well know, to which 
this language might apply, and upon which it might 
be exhausted without an application to the sabbath, 
now under consideration; and the pre-eminence given 
to this day throughout the old testament, above all 
other days, fully justifies us in refusing the application 
to it, of the general language in the passages cited. 

Having thus noticed the two objections suggested, 
we will now proceed to consider the direct proofs of 
the perpetual obligation of the sabbath. 

The first 1 will name is drawn from the high au- 
thority of our Lord Jesus Christ. He says ^Hlie sab- 
hath was made for maaP That is for his use and 
benefit. The word man is in the passage to be un- 
derstood as generic in its import. It comprises the 
whole human species, wherever found, or of whatever 
age or country. It was made ''for man." Made, to 
distribute its blessings, not to the Jew only, but to the 
Greek, and to the Roman. Made, to cast the sweet- 
ness of repose, and exert an hallowing and purifying 
influence ,not only over Palestine and its sacred locali- 
ties, but throughout the earth; and not to do this, dur- 
ing the existence of Judaism, but in every succes- 
sive age of this world's history. O what a display 
of divine wisdom and goodness is here? Tiiis bless- 
ed rest is made for all ! The rich and the poor, 
the bond and the free, the busy citizen and the care- 
worn statesman, all have a birth-right interest in the 
refreshment and sacred privileges which this Heaven- 
appointed institution bestows; and even the brutes 
that serve us are included in its provisions. 
.The second proof of the perpetuity of the sabbath 



23 

which I will offer is, that the reason for its original 
institution, and the objects it was designed to accom- 
plish are as applicable to all men, in every age of 
the world, as they could have been at any time to 
the Patriarchs or to the Jews. The reason assigned 
in the second chapter of Genesis is declared to be 
this, "because that in it (the seventh day) he had rest' 
ed from all his works.'^ The same also is found in 
the law of Sinai. "For in six days the Lord made 
heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and 
rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed 
the sabbath day and hallowed it," Here the idea is 
distinctly suggested, that the Almighty completed 
the work of creation, and that having finished it, he 
ceased from the further exercise of his power and 
wisdom, and hallowed, or set apart for holy uses, the 
succeeding day. This it is believed is the full mean- 
ing of the passages quoted: for we cannot suppose ac- 
tual weariness on the part of God. 

For what reasons, and to accomplish what ends^ 
did Jehovah do this.'^ That one day in seven should 
be observed by his creatures as an enduring memo- 
rial of his power and goodness in creation: that it 
should furnish a periodical occasion for special wor- 
ship and acknowledgement: that an example of cessa- 
tion from all work might be ever before his creatures, 
w^hich, if imitated would be physically and morally 
a blessing to them: and finally, that they might have 
a precious token of that future rest which he has 
promised, when the labor of obedience in the present 
life shall have ended. Here are the reasons and ends 
of the sabbath. Now, let me ask, are these reasons 
and ends more applicable and better suited to one 
than to another position of mankind? Is not human na- 
ture an unit, — an unit in all its distinctive qualities 



24 

and wants, in every age and country? Which of thes^ 
reasons applies with stronger force to_ the condition 
and circumstances of the Jew than to those of the Gen- 
tile? Does the wandering son of Jacob need some- 
thing to remind him of the author of his being? So 
also, does the Gentile. Does he need the moral and 
religious influence which such an institution imparts? 
So also do all men. Is his physical constitution so 
frail as to require the rest of the weekly sabbath? — 
So it is with every man. Does he need the precious 
type of a future rest to cheer him amid the calami- 
ties of time? Where is he, vvhose condition does not 
require the same glorious prospect? 

Besides, as the institution was set up at the time of 
creation, and as wehave already seen was intended then 
for the whole race of man, what reason can be shown 
why all its blessed privileges should have been at any 
subsequent timetransferedto the Jews? The Jews in- 
deed w^ere called upon to add another memorial to its 
celebration, — that of their escape from the slavery 
of Egypt, — but then, all the other reasons existed as 
strong in ages before, and ages afterwards; and were as 
applicable to the rest of mankind as to them, i consider, 
therefore, that the adaptation of the reasons and ends 
of the sabbath to the condition and circumstances of 
mankind every wdiere, most clearly indicates and 
proves the perpetuity of its privileges and obligations. 

The third proof of the perpetual obligation of the 
sabbath is derived from the fact, that the law which 
enjoins its observance is a part, and a prominent part of 
the moral law. Wliat is a moral law^? ''It is one 
which regulates the moral conduct of intelligent be-- 
ings, and results from the immutable relations of crea- 
tures to God, and to one another, and is therefore 
universally binding wherever the relations exits 



25 

which it recognizes and regulates." Now, if this 
be a correct detinition of this kind of law, the moral 
nature of the sabbath requirement is apjjarent. Mo- 
ral law is based upon the immutable relations of crea- 
tures to God and to one another; and from the rela- 
tion of man to his maker results the duty of supreme 
homage and worship, with the love of all the heart, 
and soul, and mind, and strength. It needs but a slight 
acquaintance with the constitution of man's nature to 
perceive, that the due and proper cultivation of these 
affections towards his maker, demands the appropria- 
tion of fixed and regularly returning portions of lime, 
to the hallowed purposes of worship and instruction 
— a necessity not less apparent than is that of periodi- 
cal rest, for the support of the decaying energies of 
animal life. Infinite wisdom having most clearly de- 
termined, that one day in seven is the portion of time 
appropriate and necessary to these purposes, its ob- 
servance is therefore pressed upon us, by an obliga- 
tion resting essentially on the same natural foundation 
as the obligation to revere the name of God, or re- 
frain from inflicting injury on our fellow men. The 
appropriate portion of time to be devoted to such 
purposes is indeed, determined by positive command; 
but that command is founded on the fixed and unal- 
terable laws which result from man's moral and phy- 
sical constitution, and his true relation to his maker. 
The law of the sabbath is not then a mere arbitrary 
regulation, but has its foundation in the settled and 
permanent relations of man to his creator, and is 
therefore of unceasing and perpetual obligation. 

Again, what is his relation to his fellow man? Is 
it not that of dependence, — of reciprocal dependence? 
And, does not this mutual dependence call for the ex- 
ercise of that due benevolence which will give to 
3 



each other the repose and relaxation from labor,whicK 
are necessary for the well-being of the physical nature 
we possess, and which will also afford suitable op- 
portunity for those sacred employments and religious 
exercises, which are needful for our intellectual and 
moral culture? 

Show me then the man who is not dependant on 
God, or, w'ho is independent of his fellow creatures, 
and I w^ill show you one on whom the law of the 
sabbath does not rest. But until this is done, it is 
conclusive, that as moral law rests upon the immuta- 
ble relations of man to his God, and to his fellows, and 
is universally binding wherever these relations exist; 
so the law of the sabbath is of a moral nature, because 
based upon these relations; and perpetual in its obli- 
gations on man, because these relations always exist. 
But let us look at the position in which this law of 
the Sabbath is found. It is in the decalogue. The 
nine others are admitted to be moral laws, arising 
out of our immutable relations, and are therefore un- 
changeable and perpetual. Why should the law of 
the sabbath have been incorporated into this code? — 
Why was it delivered to Moses under the same 
solemn circumstances, and from amid the same smoke 
and flame as were the others? Why was it written 
by the finger of God on a table of stone, emblamatical . 
of its durability? If only ceremonial, and intended 
to be binding on the Jews alone, why was its pro- 
mulgation marked with solemnities which did not ac- 
company the announcement of any ceremonial man- 
date? 

in addition to these considerations, let me add the 
confirmatory fact that the institution of the sabbath, 
beginning at creation, and revived with peculiar 
solemnity in the time of Moses, ha€ never been re- 



27 

pealed by any subsequent revelation, and must there- 
fore still remain in full force. Will it be said that 
our Lord Jesus Christ repealed it? If so, — vvheR? 
where? in what manner? Let the passage of scrip- 
ture be shown — let the repealing enactment be point- 
ed out. This cannot be done. On the contrary the 
Saviour says — '^Think not that I am come to destroy 
the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, 
but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, till heaven 
and earth pass, one j )t or one tittle shall in no wise 
pass from the law, till all be fulfilled'' Math v. ch. 17, 
18 vs. Wliat law does Christ here refer to, as re- 
maining unalterable to the end of the world? Why, 
surely to the law delivered from amid the solemnities 
of Mount Sinai: the law which was revered and 
honored by the ancient prophets: the law which made 
it sinful in all ages to worship idols, to steal, to kill, to 
bear false witness, to commit adultery. Lithe solemn 
enactments of that law is embraced, tlie command — 
'•Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy," Sure- 
ly then it cannot be said that Christ has abolished 
the law of the sabbath. 

Again, if Christ intended to repeal the law of the 
sabbath by the introduction of Christianity, why was 
it not done w^hen he uttered the words of my text? 
His disciples, walking through the corn fields on the 
sabbath day, plucked the ears of corn. The Phara- 
sees who had gone even beyond the rigorous enact- 
ments of the Jewish economy on this subject, were 
very much offended, and accused them of doing on 
the sabbath day that which was not lawful., Under 
these circumstances, what does our Lord say? Does 
he declare the law cancelled or repealed? Does he 
say that the sabbath is an institution set up for the 
exclusive observance oi the Jewish people, and that 



28 

its obligations are thenceforth to cease and become 
of no effect? No. He assunties ihe perpetuity of its 
obligations. He sinnply shows them^ that work of 
absolute necessity does not involve a violation of its 
sanctity, and adds an assertion of its benevolent pur- 
poses, and his divine relation to it as ^'Lord of the 
sabbath." Now it seems to nie, that if the sabbath 
were to have been abolished by the coming in of the 
christian dispensation, our blessed Saviour w'ould 
have availed himself of this occasion to signify so 
important a fact. Such an opportunity certainly 
would not have been suffered to pass without some 
allusion to it. But not one word is uttered which 
does not clearly recognize t!)e law of the sabbath as 
continuing in force. See, Mark xx. ch. 23 — 28 vs. 
The inference w^ould therefore seem to be conclusive, 
that there is no repeal of that law. 

But will it still be said, that the apostles, writing 
under the guidance of divine inspiration, declared 
against the observance of the sabbath.'' The passages 
quoted in support of this portion, I have already 
shown, do not refer to the weekly sabbath, or if they 
do, it is to the peculiar ceremonial observances which 
the Jews were accustomed to perform on that day. 

I have thus endeavored to show from the language 
of the Saviour, from the reasons and purposes of the 
sabbath, and from the moral nature of the law which 
requires its observance, that this institution calls for 
perpetual regard and veneration. Having conducted 
you to this conclusion, let me in the next place con- 
sider the change which has taken place in the par- 
ticular day of celebration. 

The Jewish sabbath was kept on the seventh day 
of the week. The christian sabbath is observed on 



29 

the first day. Why this change? With respect to 
this inquiry, there is one consideration to be borne in 
mind. The change from the seventh to the first day, 
does not conflict with the spirit and intent of the ori- 
ginal law. All its objects are as well secured by 
the observance of the one day as of the other. The 
original law required the appropriation of one day 
in seven, as sacred and commemorative, and the 
change which has taken place, does not contravene 
this provision. 

But it is said, that the appointment of the seventh 
day was of divine authority; and therefore divine au- 
thority is required to alter it. Be it so. Then the 
question arises, have we reason to believe that it 
was changed by divine authority? It is believed we 
have, and we invite you to consider the grounds of 
this opinion. In the tirst place let it be remembered 
that the whole moral law was established in the per- 
petuity of its obligations by the precepts and example 
of Jesus Christ, and that for this reason no necessity 
existed for a special command from him, on the sub- 
ject of the sabbath, under the new dispensation. It 
was so understood by his own disciples and others, 
and christians accordingly kept a day sacred 
to rest and divine worship. Now, what are the facts 
exhibited in relation to the observance of this day? 
for, from Ihese facts is drawn the conclusion to which 
we shall presently be led. Let us recur to a few 
passages of the sacred records. Take first, the xx. 
chapter of John. It gives an account of the appear- 
ance of our Lord for the first time after his resurrec- 
tion, first, to Mary in the n^orning, and then to his 
disciples in the evening of the same day. This in- 
terview took place on ihe first day of the week^ and 



BO 

h so stated twice in this chapter. See the jirst^ ani 
the nineteenth verse. Now this fact of itself proves 
nothing; but considered in connexion with others we 
shall notice, it is of great importance. It is said, 
again, ''after eight days (just one week including the 
tw^o sabbaths) again his disciples were within" and 
Jesus made his appearance in tfieir midst. The most 
memora'ble occasion in the history of the infant church, 
was the day of Pentecost, when it is said, the disci- 
ples ''-were all with one accord in one place" Acts 
ii. chap. Here the Holy Spirit was poured out up- 
on them, the miracle of tongues was wrought, the 
Gospel pi'eached, and ''about three thousand souls 
were added" unto the church. This also took place 
on the yirs^ day of the week.* Again, when Paul 
went to Troas and abode seven days, it is said he 
preached unto the disciples that came t-ogether to 



* The reckoning which proves this fact is very simpie. Our 
Saviour's last paschal supper was on the evening which termina-- 
ted or (according to the reckoningof the Jews) succeeded i\iQ Mih. 
day of the week. That fifth day was the 14th of Nisan, on which 
the pass-over was slain. He was crucified on the sixth day; and 
the following seventh day, was, as we have already remarked^ 
the second of the feast and the 16th of Nisan, on which the wave- 
sheaf was offered to the Lord. Now, from the time of this solem- 
nity, seven complete weeks were to be numbered; and the day 
which followed was the fifteenth day, or the Pentecost^ on which 
was celebrated the feast oi" the first-fruits. "From the day that ye 
brought the skeaf of the wave-offeiing seven sabbaths (or weeks) 
shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh 
iabbaih shall ye number fifty days: and ye shall offer a new meet- 
offering unto the Lord." Levit. xxiii. 15, 16 vs. Since in the 
present instance, the wave-oflfering was on ihe sabbath day, the 
appointed interval did not expire until the termination of that day 
seven weeks. At six o'clock in the evening, when the seventh 
sabbath day went out, the Pentecost began^ and it was 'fully 
come' the next morning on the first day of ihe week." — Gumey 
un the Sabbath > 



^1 

break bread: that this assemblage and preacbing was 
on \hejirst day of the week. Acts xx. ch. 7 v. In 
the first epistle to the Corinthians xvi. ch. 1, 2 v, 
Paul orders a collection to be made for the saints, 
and directs that this should be done on {\\e. first clay 
of the week: and we all remember that the apostle 
John, on the distant Island of Patmos, received his 
communications for the several churches of Asia, on 
the same day. ^4 was in the spirit on the Lord's 
day," Rev. i. ch. 10 v. Now what are the facts 
which these scriptural passages bring before us. — 
They are the following. 

Immediately after the resurrection of Christ it was 
the custom of his disaiples to meet together on the 
first day of the w^eek: that Christ met and conversed 
w^ilh and instructed them on that day: that after his 
ascension the gift of tlie Holy Spirit was bestowed 
on the same day; and the churches at Troas, Galatin 
and at Corinth observed it as a period of special re- 
ligious duty: and further, that the inspired writers 
are very particular in specifying on what day all 
these events transpired. These are the facts. Now 
I ask, why w^as it that they assembled together on 
tbis particular day? It certainly could not have been 
by accident. It must have been by design and con- 
cert. Why did Christ by his personal appearance 
and special blessing do such honors to the first-day 
assemblies of his followers? And, why did the 
churches subsequently keep them as occasions of re- 
ligious fellowship, worship and benevolence.^^ Is it 
not fair to infer, that this arrangement took place un- 
der the direction and sanction oi him who is "Lord 
of the sabbath?" Would he not have reprobated it, 
and would not the apostles have set upon such a cus- 
tom their seal of disapprobation, if this had not 
been the case? Most assuredly they w^ould. But thej 



33 

did not On the contrary they sanctioned it; and there- 
fore we conclude tliat the change of the sabbath was 
in accordance with the will of our great Redeemer. 

But is it asked, whether any good and sufticient 
reason exists, why the change in the day should 
be made? I answer there is a very good one. 
it is this, — that there might be added to the original 
memento of creative power and benevolence, the 
commemoration of the work of redemption. On the 
first day of the week Christ arose from the dead. He 
had now finished his work of humiliation: his ene- 
mies were vanquished: death and the grave were un- 
der his feet: salvation was accomplished for our race: 
so that by substituting the first day for the seventh 
of the week as the sabbath, his followers in all ages 
might celebrate, not only the wonders of a world's 
creation, but the redemption of its crowded millions 
from the guilt and dominion of sin. It is to this 
amazing scheme of divine mercy, that the poet al- 
ludes, when he exclaims 

*''Twas great to speak a world from nought; 
'Twas greater to redeem.'* 

From these considerations, the church of Christ dur- 
ing the first three centuries observed the first day of the 
week as the christian sabbath. And for the same 
reasons the church in general has continued the usage 
until the present day. 1 submit a few authorities on 
this point, and with them will close the present dis- 
course. Justin Martyr (A. D. 147) in his apology 
to the Emperor Antoninus, says 'on the day called 
Sunday, there is a meeting in one place, of all the 
christians who live either in the towns or in the coun- 
try, and the memoirs of the Apostles, or the writings 
of the Prophets, are read to them as long as is suita- 
ble, when the reader stops, and the president pro- 
nounces admonition, and exhorts to the imitation of 



these notle examples: after wliioh all arise and be- 
gin to pray.'^ Again "we all meet together on the 
Sunday, because it is the first day^ on which Jesus 
Christ our Saviour rose from the dead." Irenaeus, 
bishop of Lyons, (A. D. 167) says ''on the Lord's 
day every one of us christians keeps the sabbath, 
meditating on the law, and rejoicing in the works of 
God." Turtulhan who lived A. D. 192, and Cyp- 
rian, bishop of Carthage, who lived A. D. 250, de- 
clare in substance the same thinsr. 

Pliny the younger, who lived about seventy four 
years after the resurrection of Christ, (A. D. 107) in 
his letter to Emperor Tragen concerning christian 
Martyrs, says, 'Hhey (christians) were accustomed 
on a stated day to meet before day-light, and to re- 
peat among themselves a hymn to Christ, as to a 
God, and to bind themselves by a sacred obligation 
not to commit any wickedness: but on the contrary, 
to abstain from thefts, robberies and aduhei ies: also, 
not to violate theif promise or deny a pledge: after 
which it was their custom to separate and to meet 
again at a promiscuous harmless meal."* Here was 
a stated meeting for worship and christian fellowship. 
Now was this stated day on tiie first day of the 
week.^ It is proved to have been so, by tlie fact that in 
those days tiie Roman persecutors usually put this 
question to them '4iast thou kept the Lord's day.? — 
To which the answer was given, "I am a christian, 
I cannot omit it." 

With this collateral evidence in proof of the cus- 
tom of the early christians, I leave the subject for 
the present, beseeching Almighty God, that he may 
shine upon our understanding and make us wise unto 
salvation. 



*See Gurney on sabbath. D wight's Theology. 



DISCOURSES ON THE SABBATH. 



'•'Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt 
thou labor and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath 
of the Lord thy God; in it thoa shalt not do any work, thou, nor 
"thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-ser- 
vant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within ihy gates: For 
in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that 
in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord 
blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it." 

Exodus XX. ch. 8, — U v. 

When I had the pleasure of addressing you on the 
subject of the sabbath, two weeks ago, your attention 
was called to the perpetual obliga'ion of the institu- 
tion, and to the authority by which christians gene- 
rally observe the first day of the wxek, instead of 
the seventh. The perpetuity of the sabbath was es- 
tablished by an argument draw-n from the words of 
Christ, from the reasons and ends of its existence as 
a law, and from the moral nature of the duties it en- 
joins. The change in the day, I stated, rested on the 
usage of tlie primitive church, which usage was 
sanctioned by the presence and blessing of Christ, 
and by the authority of apostolic example, and the 
subsequent practice of the early churches. So far 
then as we liave progressed in the investigation of 
this subject, there have been established the following 
.propositions. 



39 

f* Thnt the sabbath institution was set up at the 
close of the woik of creation, by the authority of 
Almighty God. 

2. That the obligation to keep it, was then univer- 
sal, and not limited to any individual man, or tribe^ 
or nation. 

3. That this obligation was not only universal, but 
perpetual, extending through all ages of the world 
to the end of time. 

It. remains for me now, to invite your attention to 
two additional considerations before we close our 
subject. The first that comes up in order is the 
question, — what are the duties which the law of the 
sabbath imposes on mankind? And to ascertain these, 
we must have recourse to the law itself — to its bene- 
volent and just designs, and to the example of Christ 
and his apostles. In considering these, we discover 
that the duties which are perpetually obligatory, are 
those which are exclusively moral in their nature^ 
and that therefore any ceremonial observances which 
may have been required of the Jews under the Mo- 
saic economy, are no longer in force. Let us, then, 
look to the law as it exists in that code of morals 
which is to endure forever. '^Remember the sabbath 
day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and 
do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath 
of the Lord thy God: in it, thou shalt not do amj 
work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man- 
servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor 
thy stranger that is within thy gates." The duties 
here enjoined are two-fold, one relating to the physi- 
cal condition of man, the other to his moral and reli- 
gious condition. The one, requiring abstinence from 
ail work on the sabbath, and the other, its consecra- 
tion to sacred purposes. 



First, abstinence from all work. All secular busi^ 
ness is to be suspended. The labor of the field, the 
toil of the work-shop, the business of the store, of the 
counting house,of the office; all work of whatever kind 
is to be laid aside: and this prohibitory provision of 
the law, extends to all the relations of society, and 
even readies to the condition of our beasts of labor. 
The father, son, daughter, servant, the stranger and 
the cattle are required to observe this as a day of 
rest. The only exception to this entire exemption 
from labor, which is authorized, exists in cases of 
necessity and mercy: and what the nature of these 
cases is, we may learn from the example and instruc- 
tions oi Jesus Christ. They are such cases as ren- 
der labor necessary for the comfort, health and life 
of the body; and also, for the relief of our suffering 
fellow creatures. Whatever work is requisite to se- 
cure these objects, may be done without a violation 
of this law, but none other whatsoever. See Mark 
xi. ch. 23,-27 vs. 

Secondly, its consecration to sacred purposes. — 
The absolute rest wiiich is required is not only ne- 
cessary, in view of securing the well-being of man's 
physical nature, but in order to enable him to keep it 
holy, ''Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy:'' 
It vvould be impossible to do so, if its rest were bro- 
ken, or if we suffered ourselves to engage in employ- 
ments which in their nature would call off our minds 
from the holy services of the occasion. How could 
we celebrate the power and wisdom and benevolence 
of God as displayed in the works of creation.'^ How 
could we appropriately and profitably commemorate 
the great achievement of redemption.'' How could 
we feel that the sabbath is a precious type of our 
future rest in heaven, if our minds were perplexed. 



S7 

and our bodies were borne down with the pressure of 
our worldly business? Who that watches the ordi- 
nary operations of his own mind, but knows how ex- 
ceedingly diflScult it is to keep alive the conviction 
of his religious responsibilities, amid the vexations 
and cares of daily labor? How much more so would 
it be under such circumstances to perform the addi- 
tional duties of so sacred a day? But by resting 
from all labor, we are in circumstances favorable to 
this duty. We can engage in appropriate medita- 
tion, or sincere and humble prayer, or in the perusal 
of the sacred scriptures, or in christian conversation 
without interruption; and we can assemble in '^holy 
convocation" where the word of God is expounded 
and his praise is celebrated, undisturbed by the press- 
ing and harrassing calls of secular pursuit. In short, 
we can devote it entirely to holy purposes. 

The great principles of duty are then the follow- 
ing. First, entire cessation from worldly business, 
except in such cases as may demarnd it on the ground 
of necessity or mercy: secondly, the consecration of 
the day to sacred employments and holy exercises. 
Whatever then is done by us on the sabbath, incon- 
sistant with either of these rules of conduct, that in- 
fringes in the least degree on the sacredness of the 
day by the omission of pious employment, or by en- 
gaging in any work not called for on the grounds 
specified, is a violation of the law of God, which not 
only exposes us to his displeasure, but which strikes 
at the established order and harmony of the moral 
universe. 

Having thus presented the general outline of duty 
which devolves upon us in view of keeping the sab- 
bath, I come now to consider the great benefits, 
which the institution of the sabbath is designed and 
4 



S8 

calculated to confer upon our race. This branch of 
our subject is of the highest importance. Infideb 
may scornfully ask, where is the utility of the sab- 
bath, and scorners may consider themselves as ex- 
empt from its obligations; and even some professing- 
christians may wink at its violation as though it were 
of little consequence. Yet reason, conscience, ex- 
perience and observation show it to be one of the 
most valuable institutions ever established among 
men. 

In the first place, it is of immense value when con- 
sidered in reference to the physical condition of so^ 
ciety. In this respect the sabbath contributes direct- 
ly to the preservation of health, and consequently 
to the increase of comfort, and of productive indus- 
try in the community. This may appear at first view 
a strange proposition, but it is nevertheless true. — 
The human constitution is so constructed that over- 
exertion is ruinous in its effects to health and life.— 
Too much labor is as positively injurious to health, 
as is idleness. It breaks down the strength of the 
body, it weakens and depresses the mind, and it 
abridges human life. The world is full of instances 
of disease, premature debility and death, resulting 
from excessive and prot^racted labor. A due portion 
of rest is indispensable for the preservation of Iiealth, 
and the successful prosecution of the pursuits of life. 
Now the sabbath is exactly adapted to this condition 
of things. It provides a period of relaxation. Our 
Creator who made and fashioned us, and who knows 
what we can bear, has assigned one day out of seven 
as a rest day, thus giving to man six days of labor, and 
one of rest. That this is not too much to recruit the 
wasted energies of the body and mind, is evident 
from the experience of mankind; and infidel Franct 



S9 

m her effort to change the order of God from one 
out of seven, to one out of ten days, for the purpose of 
rest, has furnished in the results which followed her 
revolutionary enterprise a strong illustration of the 
folly of interfering with the wise and merciful ap- 
pointments of Qod. So far then as the observance 
of the sabbath contributes to the refreshment and 
health of man, so far it is useful in augmenting the 
amount of social happiness, and increasing the pro- 
ductive industry of the land, for in exact proporitioa 
as one is diminished, so is the other. What a bless- 
ing then is this institution to our world? What a 
blessing is it to the care-worn statesman, who can lay 
aside the burdens of state and find repose in its peace- 
ful quiet? What a blessing to the man of science, who 
can then pause in his labored investigations and invi- 
gorate his weary faculties? What a blessing to the 
poor laborer, w^ho when this sacred day dawns upon 
him, can rest his wearied limbs beside his humble 
but peaceful fireside, and when even the beast that 
serves him in his toil, can prepare for the labor of 
the ensuing week? Oh, it is to the busy multitude as 
comforting and refreshing, as is the oasis in the de- 
sert to the sun-burnt traveller. It is as cheering as a 
clear sky after a sweeping tempest. It is as the 
rain-bow of promise, to remind us of a coming season 
of eternal rest. 

Besides, who can estimate the amount of good 
which the sabbath produces in other ways? We are 
social beings and our happiness in a great measure 
depends on the cultivation of the social principle. 
Take the sabbath away from us; or, which is the 
same thing, place us in circumstances in which we 
shall have no time for its observance; keep man al- 
ways at labor, and you cut oflf from him all the hap- 



40 

piness derived from this source. The sabbath comes 
to bring its cessation from labor, its sacred and holy 
employ, its social assemblages — and now, all society 
appears in cleanly apparel, with smiles on the coun- 
tenance and benevolence in the heart, and the social 
principle has a fair opportunity to exert its healthful 
influence among all clashes, contributing to the peace, 
order and harmony of the whole community. 

"Hail Sabbath! thee I hail; the poor man's day, 

The pale mechanic now has leave to breathe 

The Morning air, pure from the city's smoke. 

As wandering slowly up the river's bank, 

He meditates on him whose power he marks, 

In each green tree that proudly spreads the bough. 

And in the tiny dew-bent flowers that bloom 

Around the roots; and while he thus surveys 

With elevated joy each rural charm, 

He hopes, yet fears presumption in the hope, 

That Heaven may be one Sabbath without end.** 

But if it be thus useful to the physical condition of 
man, and to the general well-being of society, how 
much more valuable does it appear when we look at 
its bearings on our moral and intellectual character. 
Its direct tendency is tO| open the way for the culti- 
vation of the intellect and the improvement of the 
heart; and this is its distinguishing blessing. How 
many thousands are there, who have no other oppor- 
tunity of acquiring a knowledge of God, and o( the 
things which pertain to the best interests of our race? 
All their days are spent in toil, to the exclusion of 
all means of moral culture and intellectual improve- 
ment. From sun to sun, the burden of labor presses 
upon them, and when night comes, they are compelled 
to yield to repose their wearied limbs. Now if these 
persons had no sabbath, what wretchedness and 



41 

ignorance would be their portion? But it comes at 
its stated period, it conies like a nfiessenger of peace, 
bringing to the wearied population its sweet repose, 
its holy teachings, its divine cooimemorations, its 
hours of praise and of prayer, and its season of chris- 
tian fellowship. And who can tell to what extent its 
hallowing influences are felt, in moulding the state of 
private and public morals, and how far we are depen- 
dant upon it for the order, intelligence and' harmo- 
ny of the whole community? Indeed there is a close 
and inseparable connexion between the observance 
of the sabbath, and the observance of all the other 
moral duties with which it is connected in the deca« 
logue — so that it may be safely affirmed that it 
is necessary as an aid to secure the performance of 
every other duly. It may be safely asserted as a 
general truth, that those communities which disregard 
the law of the sabbath^ set at defiance every other 
moral obligation, and that thdse which sacredly ob- 
serve it, are distinguished for the virtues of morality 
and religion. Look around upon the world for illus* 
trations of this truthc Wherever the sabbath is 
honored by a village, a town, a city; — wherever the 
repose it confers is enjoyed by every living creature; 
wherever the "sound of the church-going bell" wel- 
comes the old, the young, the poor — all classes to 
the high praises and solemn devotions of the sanc- 
tuary; there you will see intelligence, virtue, order, 
religion, and every other blessing which can adorn 
and elevate the character of man, or the condition of 
society. On the other hand, wherever in a commu- 
nity the sabbath is not observed; wherever its sacred 
services are unknown, its rest is unenjoyed, or, if 
enjoyed perverted to objects of revelry and dissipa- 
tion; there you will see vice lifting its Hydra bead 
4* 



42 

in the light of day, setting at defiance the restraints 
of all law human and divine, — breaking asunder all 
the bonds which bind virtuous society together, and 
giving impulse to the hateful and ruinous passions of 
human nature. You will see a society whose 
elements are discordant, and whose frequent volcanic 
agitations threaten the destruction of every thing that 
can elevate private virtue, or secure and perpetuate 
public tranquillity^ And what does this prove? — 
Does it not clearly establish the moral power of the 
sabbath? Does it not show that there is a close con- 
nexion, in the practical operation of the divine law 
on the human mind, between the observance of the 
sabbath and the other requisitions of the decalogue? 
Does it not show that this connexion is so close and 
inevitable, that no one who religiously observes this 
institution is an idolater, a murderer, a thief, an adul- 
terer, a swearer or slanderer: — while he who wick- 
edly disobeys it, is ahiiost sure to be a violator in 
some form of the whole decalogue? 

The moral pov^^er of this institution, and its useful- 
ness in preserving the morals of the nation, in diffu- 
sing useful knowledge and in promoting the general 
welfare of man, may be readily conceived by sup- 
posing an obliteration of its services from the customs 
of society. Go, and expunge from your civil laws 
all their provisions on this subject. Go, raze from 
their foundations your Temples of public worship — 
let not a single spire lift its gilded height towards 
heaven, break down your pulpits, demolish your al- 
tars, withdraw from the community the restraints 
and the blessings which it now gives to the public 
mind, and what will be the result? Why, you would 
take from us that which most contributes to the 
bealth, cleanliness, order and social happiness of man. 



43 

You would strip the greater portion of the communi- 
ty of their chief means of intellectual and moral cul- 
ture. And then, virtue would be dishonored and 
trodden down, — truth would be prostrate and bleed- 
ing in your streets, — ignorance and vice would stalk 
abroad in our land, scattering their withering curses 
wherever they went, — society would be broken up, 
laws would be set at defiance, and all the horrors 
which covered blood-thirsty, infidel France, in the 
days of her revolutionary phrenzy with a mantle of 
shame, torn and tattered in disgrace, would come upon 
us. This would be necessarily the result, because 
with the destruction of the sabbath is taken away all 
the appointed means of correcting, purifying and 
preserving the morals of the great mass of society. 

So far then, we have considered the u-ility of the 
sabbath in reference to the physical condition of 
of man, and to the intelligence, morality and general 
virtue of society; and I am very sure all will agree, 
that regarding it merely as a political institution (if I 
may so speak of it,) it is of incalculable value. — 
There is however another view of this subject which 
I wish to present before I close, and that is its im- 
portance in keeping alive in the world, a knowledge 
of God and the obligations of religion. The sabbath 
is a commemorative institution. God established it 
as a perpetual memorial of the work of creation, and 
of the more glorious achievement of redemption. A 
necessity does exist for such a memento, or an infi- 
nitely wise God would not have instituted it. This 
necessity is now found in the weakness and depravi- 
ty of the heart, which dispose us to forget our duty 
to our maker. Were the sabbath abolished, chris- 
tian nations would be likely to relapse into a state of 
ignorance and vice, but little elevated above the con^ 



44 

-dition of the heathen world. The Bible, it is true, 
would serve as a check upon the corruptions of man; 
but if this Bible could not set up its institutions and 
secure their observance, it is doubtful whether in 
their absence it would be sufficient to preserve the 
knowledge of God, and of salvation. Did Egypt re- 
tain a knowledge of God and of the creation of the 
world? Read the most ancient historians, and study 
her mythology, and see how profoundly ignorant she 
was of any intelligent conceptions of God and of the 
origin of the universe. Did classic Greece and 
chivalrous Rome when in the zenith of their glory 
possess and transmit to posterity any true account 
of the creation of the world, and of its divine author? 
Read their history, examine their theology — go to 
their temples, and see in the corruption of their most 
sacred festivals the absence of all knowledge touch- 
ing these high considerations. Why was this! True, 
they had no written record of the will of heaven, but 
then all nations have their traditions, and if these tra- 
ditions had been handed down to them correctly 
from the beginning of the world, they would at least 
have known that "God in six days made the world.^' 
The reason I conceive to be this — when the posterity 
of Adam was enlarged, and the wickedness of man 
became great in the earth, they ceased to observe the 
sabbath as commemorative of the wcrk of creation; 
and though in some cases the day appears to have 
been observed, yet it was perverted from its objects 
and designs, and thus failed in transmitting to pos- 
terity the knowledge intended by its original institu- 
tion. Had they continued it on the basis of its ori- 
ginal design, it would have been otherwise. 

Whether this be so or not, it is altogether certain, 
that the sabbath is an indispensable aid to the Bible, 



4S 

as without it, its truths could not be so^generally 
known, and so certainly transmitted to posterity. — 
If we had not its appointed rest, and were not called 
to its sacred services, our knowledge of human na- 
ture teaches us, that we should be so absorbed in se- 
cular pursuits, and pressed down by the engage- 
ments of business, as to have neither time nor incli- 
nation to consult the written oracles of God. Of 
what immense value then is this institution to the re- 
ligious state of the world? It is an ever-during 
monument of divine goodness and power. Wherev- 
er it is welcomed, it has a tongue and a language. Its 
voice is continually sounding in our ears. It tells us, 
and tells the world, of the wonders of creative power. 
It bids us lookout upon the vaulted sky above us, and 
on the revolving earth beneaih us, and see, in the sun, 
,and moon, and stars, in the verdant plains, the sha- 
ded forests, the towering mountains, the majestic 
rivers, and the mighty ocean, the work of him, who 
is the creator and sovereign of the universe. It tells 
us to think of the amazing mercy of God to a rebel 
race, as manifested in the great achievement of salva- 
tion through the humiliation, suffering, death, and 
glorious resurrection and ascension of the son of 
God. It calls us to the celebration of these events 
in humble adoration and praise; and, while it so re- 
mains, and is honored by the sons of men, it will con- 
tinue thus to invite them to these pleasing and profita- 
ble meditations and employments. Christians will 
hail it, as the season of pious thought, of religious 
culture, and as a precious pledge of that endless sab- 
bath to which they w^ill be exalted herealter. 

In addition to these general benefits, it will 
continue to confer its special blessings on mankind. 
Through the peculiar services of the sabbath, the 



46 

Holy Spirit will be poured out, the ignorant mind 
will be made wise unto salvation, sinners will be 
awakened, penitents will be comforted, believers 
will be encouraged and established, and the church 
of Christ under the guidance of its triumphant foun- 
der, will wax stronger and stronger in her moral 
power, until thrones and kingdoms, and republics of 
every land will acknev^^ledge him as Lord and Mas- 
ter, and render to him the homage wliich is his due. 
Then indeed shall be sung amid the hills and valleys 
and crowded cities of our earth, the hymn of praise — 

*'From all that dweU below the skies 
Let the Creator's praise arise; 
Let the Redeemer's name be sung, 
Through every land, by every tongue. 

Eternal are thy mercies Lord, 
Eternal truth attends thy word; 
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, 
• Till sun shall rise and set no more." 

So much then for the utility of the sabbath. It con- 
tributes very greatly to the well-being of mankind 
in the following ways, first, as it respects health, 
cleanliness, social intercourse and general industry: 
secondly, as it respects the moral and intellectual 
condition of society: and thirdly, as to its re- 
ligious tendencies in keeping up, and perpetuating 
among men a knowledge of the true God, and of the 
work of redemption; and in contributing by its influ- 
ences to the renovation of a depraved and sinful 
world. 

I come now to notice the conclusions to which the 
wide range we have taken in the investigation of 
this subject conducts us. Many are suggested, but I 
must confine myself to those which are most promi- 



nent I infer from what has been said, the follow- 
ing propositions. 1. The sabbath is- an institution 
which if we consider it only in the light of a civil 
or political regulation claims the high regard and ob- 
servance of all classes of mankind. 2. That men 
cannot disregard it, without committing a high of- 
fence against their own well-being, and against the 
peace, morals and stability of a well regulated com- 
munity. 3. That as a divine institution, universal 
and perpetual in its obligations, it commands the 
obedience of us all, and we cannot in person, or 
through those over whom we have influence and 
control, violate this law without offending God, in- 
juring ourselves, and becoming exposed to the dread- 
ful punishments which are threatened against sin. — 
4. That in propoition as this institution is con- 
scientiously and religiously observed throughout our 
country, will virtue, order, harmony, religion and 
respect for civil law, prevail; and that on the basi^ 
of such a condition of society, we may confidently 
anticipate the perpetuity of our free institutions. 

With these considerations before us, let us now in 
conclusion look out upon society, and see what are 
its habits in respect to the observance of the sabbath. 
There are many, no, doubt, who make its observance 
a matter of conscientious duty. But is it not painful- 
ly true that sabbath breaking prevails in our country 
to a fearful and an alarming extent? Is it not one of the 
flagrant vices of the age? Is it not beheld every 
where in private and public life, among all the gra- 
dations of human society? How many statesmen 
employ its sacred hours in reading political papers^ 
or in writing letters on business or politics, or in ar- 
ranging their labors for the ensuing week, as though 
they were exempt from the necessity of rest, and 



48 

were not called upon to engage in the duties of devo- 
tion? How many mechanics secretly push their 
business? How many merchants may be found in 
their counting rooms? How many clerks in their 
offices? How many families fulfilling their ordinary 
engagements? All practically despising the great 
command ''remember the sabbath day to keep it 
holy.'' Go into your avenues, wander through the 
streets of the metropolis, and see the trade that is 
going on, the sin that is committed, the intemperance 
and vice that are fostered in some of our licensed con- 
fectionaries, fruit shops, and refectories, on the sab- 
bath day! Go into those establishments called Tav-^ 
erns, many of which are mere licensed grogeries, 
and see how they poison the morals and waste the 
substance of the multitudes, young and old, that 
throng their polluted precincts ! 

But I stop not here — though the soul sickens and 
the heart becomes tremulous in its pulsations at the 
view of all the wrongs done to High Heaven, yet jus- 
tice calls upon us to fill up the picture of our iniquities. 
Bring me a map of our extensive and beloved coun- 
try. See here — how provident the Almighty has 
been to us as a nation? What beautiful bays and 
rivers, what extensive and fruitful valleys, what 
luxuriant hi2:h-lands, and what other natural advan- 
tages he has given us, to contribute to all the useful 
pursuits of our social and national existence: and how 
many artificial means have been given us in his good 
providence, to facilitate our intercourse and to secure 
our general prosperity? And yet there is not a bay 
nor a river, not a thorough- fare, nor high way, na* 
tural nor artificial, where the sacred law of the sab- 
bath is not violated! Our rail-road cars, our stage 
coaches, our public hacks, our steamboats with their 



49 

crowded passengers, all set at defiance the law of 
God. There is no sabbath rest for man or beast; 
and the thousands who are, on this day engaged in 
the labor necessary for the prosecution of this wicked 
business, have no share in the moral and religious 
influences of the Holy Sabbath. If they travelled on 
errands of necessity or mercy the law of God would 
vindicate their course; but every body knows that this 
is not the motive; that the impelling motive has its 
origin in the miserable avarice of the human soul. — 
Last summer, the moral sense of every virtuous and 
pious mind, was shocked at an advertisement which 
appeared in a newspaper, issued not far distant from 
this Capitol. As if not satisfied with the ordinary sin 
of business travelling on the sabbath, one of our in- 
corporated companies (some of its members I have 
reason to believe belong to christian churches!) gave 
notice, that an additional conveyance would be put 
upon the road on the sabbath; and to induce persons 
to leave the social enjoyments of domestic life, 
and engage in the demoralizing indulgences of 
a pleasure party, kindly proffered to reduce the 
fare for that day, one dollar! What liberality! A 
liberality exercised at the sacrifice of interests, vast 
as the capacity of the human soul, and enduring as 
eternity. Nor is this a solitary example of public 
invitations to desecrate the sabbath. They are com- 
mon, and are acquiring increased frequency in the 
places of public resort in various parts of the land. 

Alas! alas for our country! — My hearers, we boast 
of the moral and religious character of our nation. — 
Thank God, we are not yet gone as far as Sodom 
and Gommorah in sin; but we have far more cause 
of shame and repentance, than we have of boasting. 
Sin is a reproach to any people, and we have this 
foul stain of sabbath desecration, with its sister vices 
5 



50 

upon us; and therefore have great reason to fear that 
thelong suffering of the Supreme Ruler of all nations 
will finally be exhausted, and that the time will come 
when we shall reap the wages of our iniquity in some 
terrible and destroying national calamity. "Then I 
contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto 
them, what evil thing is this that ye do, and profane 
the sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did 
not our God bring all tiiisevil upon us, and upon this 
city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by pro- 
faning the sabbath."— Neh. 13 ch. 17, 18 vs. 

There is one hope left us, — that hope is founded in 
the mercy of God, — but even this, is based on the 
contingency of oiir return to duty. What is that 
duty? Contrition for the past, reform for the future. 
Every man should become a christian — I do not mean 
a bigoted sectarist, but a follower of Christ; — and 
especially, men in high places should espouse the 
principles of duty which Christianity developes, and 
set precept and example against the sin of sabbath 
violation. Men in power, and distinguished from 
their fellows, by their high ofiices of honor, and trust ^ 
are every day wielding an influence, far beyond the 
private citizen, for weal or woe to their country. — 
This iniiuence either poisons the morals, or gives an 
elevated tone to the virtues of the community. One 
of these results is necessarily produced; for constitu- 
ted as we are, it is impossible that their character 
and example should not be felt on the community. — 
They are scrutinously watched and diligently imita- 
ted, and henc5 it is, that whenever any vice finds en- 
couragement among them, it very soon becomes the 
lashionable vice of a great portion of society. They 
are cities set upon hills that cannot be hid. They 
are the givers, expounders, and executors of law — 
and the guardians and defenders of both our civil and 



51 

religious institutions. To them the people look, and 
have a right to look, for all that is honorable in con- 
duct, virtuous in character and dignifying to our na- 
ture; — and they are solemnly bound, by the relations 
which they sustain to God, and to the nation, to con- 
tribute by their personal example, to the maintainance 
and perpetuity of such institutions as tend to promote 
the moral, intellectual and physical vveh'^are of society. 
There rests on them a tremendous responsibility; 
a responsibility which is enough to make a conscien- 
tious man tremble before his Maker, and which, 
whether felt or not, is inseparably connected with eve- 
ry elevated post of honor and trust in the country. 

How strong, how imperative then, are the claims of 
religion, of philanthropy and of a sound and enlighten- 
ed patriotism, upon our public men to consecrate their 
example to the noble purpose of giving a pure, ele- 
vated and vigorous tone to the morals of the com- 
munity? If they love their country; if they desire to 
see it prosperous and happy, under the smile of that 
Being, who by a guiding providence, led our gallant 
fathers through the struggle of the revolution, to the 
quiet possession of this fair inheritance: if they de- 
sire to leave thei-r children a home an J a name among 
a great momZ and religious people; if they would trans- 
mit to posterity^ our civil and religious institutions, 
and give to succeeding generations, the banner of our 
liberties, long and triumphantly to ' wave, 

'O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave." 

let them by precept, by example and by every means 
in their power, say to the world, we hooor the God 
of Heaven, — -we acknowledge tlie auilioiity of his 
laws, — we "remember the sabbath day to keep it 
holy." 



Errata. 

Page 13 — fourth line from bottom, read there, for this. 

Page 23 — second line from bottom, read portion, instead of po- 
sition. 

Page 33 — eighth line from top, read Turtullian. instead of 
Turtulhan. 









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